The United Arab Emirates received a unanimous vote of approval from the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), in response to a membership application submitted by Sheikha Budoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Emirates Publishers Association and the Founder and Director of Kalimat. The UAE’s acceptance into the group paved the way for the launch of UAE National Chapter of the IBBY, which was officially announced in October 2009.

The UAE Chapter of IBBY aims to promote understanding and to facilitate the exchange of information through children’s books, to encourage and develop a wide array of literary and artistic works for children. It also organizes competitions, seminars and workshops for those involved in the field of children’s literature, encourages the publication and distribution of quality children’s books, especially in developing areas. Furthermore, the IBBY encourages the nationwide establishment of public libraries and strives to stimulate the translation of high quality children’s books both from and into Arabic and helps to raise the standard of children’s literature in the UAE to the highest international levels.

The UAE Pioneers Award Honours UAEBBY

The very prestigious UAE Pioneers Award was launched in 2014 to identify the UAE’s pioneers in different areas and honour them. This year the pioneers and supporters in the field of culture and reading in the UAE were honoured. The 2016 Awards were presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. UAEBBY won the “Best NGO to Support Reading Among Young People” and Etisalat Telecom was awarded “Best Private Sector Initiative to Encourage Reading Among Children” in honour of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature that is organized and administered by UAEBBY.

Sharjah IBBY Children in Crisis Fund

IBBY is very pleased to announce the launch of the Sharjah IBBY Children in Crisis Fund to support a reading culture for children in the region of Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. This wonderful opportunity is the result of negotiations between the IBBY Foundation, lead by Patricia Aldana and the IBBY section in the United Arab Emirates – UAEBBY, lead by HE Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi.The first projects in the region will be announced later this year.